News
12.15.22 | Welcome to Skidompha, Chloe!
12.8.22 | We’re Looking for an Artist in Residence!
- Demonstrated experience as a working artist
- Experience working with teens/youth
- An understanding of current challenges facing public libraries
12.1.22_Planning Ahead for Carpeting and Our Holiday Closure
11.24.22_Sharing Our Gratitude

11.14.22 | Upcoming Skidompha Poetry Group Reading and Display
Dear Friends,
Some of you know we have a group of passionate poetry lovers who meet every Friday at 10:00 a.m. over Zoom. They start the day by reading or listening to a few good poems. This group has been meeting year-round for two and a half years. Jeannette, our Director of Communications and Online Programming, holds this group. When she started it, she envisioned creating a space where people could drop in when they felt like spending a little time with poetry.
Jeannette has reported to me many times that it continues to be one of the highlights of her week. There is no pressure to share, and the group is an informal space to check in with each other, say hello, and share a few poems. From time to time, members of the group share an original poem; most often, they bring in poems they love that others have written. Every so often, they meet in person, and one of my favorite sights this summer was seeing their group talking and laughing together in the courtyard as they shared tea and poetry.
Our weekly Skidompha Poetry group is thrilled to announce that they will be presenting a display of poetry and artwork in the Carey Art Gallery at Skidompha during the month of December. To kick things off, they are hosting a poetry reading on Friday, December 2, from 4:30 – 5:30 in Porter Hall. They will be sharing a few of their favorites from all the poems they’ve read aloud to one another over these years, and they’d love to invite members of the community to join them as listeners or to read a favorite poem of their own!
I love knowing this group continues to thrive quietly and steadily each week, and I know they are always open to new members. One participant said, “I wish people knew how fun this group is. I was nervous about joining, thinking we’d be dissecting poetry, but instead, we just enjoy it and each other!”
For more information about our weekly poetry group or the December 2 Poetry Reading, please contact Jeannette at jeaton@skidompha.org.
Be well,
Matthew Graff
Executive Director
Skidompha Public Library
11.10.22 | Honoring Veterans
10.27.22 | Our Amazing Adult Circ Staff
Dear Friends,
I am so proud to highlight the exceptional work happening in our kids, teens, and adult programs, and lately, there is always something exciting and new to report. But it occurs to me that it’s been a while since I mentioned our brilliant adult circulation staff.
As I work in my office, one of my greatest joys is hearing the laughter and joy behind the circ desk. Terry, Erika, Rachel, and Molly bring their energy, quirkiness, and love for what they do to everything they touch at Skidompha.
Many people don’t realize just how much this team is responsible for and what they do every day. Besides their general circulation duties of answering the phone, checking books in and out, and processing renewals, this dream team manages all aspects of adult ILLs, makes room reservations, supports patrons on the public computers, selects and orders books for the adult collection, does all the adult resource cataloging, tracks overdue books, and offers reference services and readers advisories. They do collection inventory, create new library accounts, and support patrons with all manner of questions and requests. And most importantly, they create genuine human connections with our patrons.
I never take it for granted just how lucky I, Skidompha, and the community are to have such a great team working here. Please stop in and see them the next time you are here!
Be well,
Matthew Graff
Executive Director
Skidompha Public Library
10.20.22 | Kids Programming Highlights
Dear Friends,
A highlight of my job is definitely the fact that I enjoy the physical space of the library. I love spending time in the sun-filled atrium and watching the light shift with each passing hour. I love walking toward the back entrance and seeing the vibrant art that rotates into the library each month. And I love having a job where I’m surrounded by books!
One of my favorite places to visit here is the kids’ room. Have you been there lately? It is bright, welcoming, and the place that makes you want to pause and play. There are chairs and tables for coloring, puzzling, or curling up with a new book. Jessie, our children’s librarian, has created the kind of space that speaks to all the senses. It is welcoming and filled with color and energy, and brings a smile to my face. The Library of Things for borrowing (think microscopes, telescopes, a polaroid camera) is on full display. A fish tank bubbles away in the Story Circle, ready for watching.
Jessie gives an incredible amount of thought to the physical space; similarly, she spends a lot of her time and energy filling the room with new and relevant resources. I’m amazed at how many new books and materials she brings to Skidompha. Once again, this year, we are thrilled to participate in The Maine Student Book Award (MSBA). MSBA aims to bring new books into the hands of readers in grades 4 -8. There are 40 books to choose from, and we have them all! Students can read as many as they like and vote for their favorites. It’s so cool to have all these books and even cooler that Jessie has prizes for everyone who reads three books and casts a ballot.
Readers aged 7 – 12 can also join our Children’s Book Review Club. If you love reading and discussing your favorite books, this group is for you! Come recommend books to your peers and get recommendations from Jessie and other kids. This group begins this week and meets monthly on the last Thursday of the month at 3:30 in the kids’ room.
And if you are interested in playing chess, we hope you will join us after school for the Skidompha Chess Club. This group meets on Wednesdays at 3:00 and is open to new and experienced players.
Be well,
Matthew Graff
Executive Director
Skidompha Public Library
10.13.22 | Teen Program Highlights
Dear Friends,
Sometimes I find myself reflecting on my teen years and marveling how, even though they were long ago, they sometimes come back to me in remarkably fresh and vivid memories. I think it’s because the teen years are so impactful and emotionally charged. Our teen years are defined by change; we explore, grow, experience, try, and succeed and fail.
We have staff here parenting teenagers, others who will soon, and some who have grandparented teens, so teens come up frequently in conversation. These conversations bring awareness and understanding to my teen years and instill in me joy and pride at the incredible work our teen librarian, Kristi, is doing here at the library.
Kristi joined us just a year ago and has been busy ever since. She has partnered with local schools and nonprofits, offered many new programs, created our first-ever teen summer job fair, and helped create a program and curriculum for homeschool families. She brought the food pantry to Skidompha, with deliveries of dry goods and fresh vegetables twice per week thanks to Lincoln County Gleaners, Healthy Lincoln County, and many local farms.
Kristi cares deeply for her patrons and has seen a need to highlight wellness initiatives for teens and the community. You may have noticed much of her work has focused on this. Some of Kristi’s efforts include the homeschool program, created to help students fulfill Maine’s library skills requirement. There are programs specifically for first-year participants, where kids and teens get a chance to work through five lessons, and for second-year participants, where students can apply what they’ve learned and work on research-based projects.
Kristi has also asked our own Jeannette Eaton, another member of our deeply compassionate Skidompha staff, to run a four-week teen mindfulness group starting on Friday, October 21st. Kristi hopes this program will give teens some tools to help navigate the intensity of school, friends, and the struggles of the 21st century.
Many of you will know that Jeannette runs several programs here at Skidompha, including a beloved mindfulness program for adults! Jeannette’s facilitating skills are superlative. She aims to create a safe and comforting space welcoming to all. In this group, teens will get a chance to reflect on their own and in small groups, try out different approaches like journaling, creating, and learning short meditations and exercises they can do independently.
I’m grateful for the creative ways our teen programs seek to meet teens where they’re at and offer fun things to do and helpful things to try. If you, or a teen in your life, are interested in these programs, we hope you’ll join us at the library!
Be well,
Matthew Graff
Executive Director
Skidompha Public Library